MACE Infection Control & Safety Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A medication aide is preparing to administer eye drops. Which action is most important to prevent cross-contamination between eyes?
- Use the same dropper tip for both eyes to save time
- Wipe the dropper tip with a tissue between eyes
- Use a separate sterile dropper or avoid touching the eye with the tip (Correct answer)
- Rinse the dropper with water between eyes
Correct answer: Use a separate sterile dropper or avoid touching the eye with the tip
The dropper tip must never touch the eye or any surface, and ideally a separate dropper is used per eye to prevent cross-contamination.
Question 2: When disposing of a used medication patch, what is the correct procedure?
- Fold sticky sides together and place in sharps container
- Flush it down the toilet immediately
- Fold sticky sides together and discard in a sealed container per facility policy (Correct answer)
- Leave it on the counter for pharmacy pickup
Correct answer: Fold sticky sides together and discard in a sealed container per facility policy
Used patches retain active medication and should be folded sticky-side-in and disposed of per facility protocol to prevent accidental exposure.
Question 3: A resident has a wound infection with MRSA. Which type of isolation precautions should be implemented?
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective/reverse isolation
Correct answer: Contact precautions
MRSA is spread through direct or indirect contact, so contact precautions—including gloves and gown—are required.
Question 4: Which hand hygiene method is MOST effective against C. difficile (C. diff) spores?
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 15 seconds
- Soap and water for at least 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- Antiseptic wipes
- Alcohol-based sanitizer followed by a rinse
Correct answer: Soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Alcohol-based sanitizers do not kill C. diff spores; soap and water with friction is the only effective hand hygiene method.
Question 5: A medication aide accidentally splashes a medication into their eye. What is the FIRST action?
- Notify the supervisor before doing anything
- Flush the eye with water for at least 15 minutes (Correct answer)
- Apply an eye patch and seek medical attention
- Document the incident and monitor for symptoms
Correct answer: Flush the eye with water for at least 15 minutes
Immediate flushing of the eye with water for at least 15 minutes is the first priority before any notification or documentation.
Question 6: What does the term 'sterile technique' mean in the context of medication administration?
- Cleaning equipment with soap and water before use
- Preventing all microorganisms from entering a sterile field or body cavity (Correct answer)
- Wearing gloves during all medication passes
- Wiping the medication cup with an alcohol swab
Correct answer: Preventing all microorganisms from entering a sterile field or body cavity
Sterile technique means maintaining an environment completely free of all microorganisms to prevent infection, especially for invasive procedures.
Question 7: A facility has an outbreak of norovirus. Which environmental cleaning agent is recommended?
- 70% isopropyl alcohol solution
- Quaternary ammonium compound
- Bleach solution (1:10 dilution) (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen peroxide foam only
Correct answer: Bleach solution (1:10 dilution)
Norovirus is resistant to many disinfectants, but a 1:10 bleach solution (sodium hypochlorite) is effective for environmental decontamination.
MACE Infection Control & Safety Standards 2
A medication aide is preparing to administer eye drops.
Which action is most important to prevent cross-contamination between eyes?